The Free album by album thread

Thanks for contributing. As we move through the thread, I will point out why I think Koss was one of the best ever. His solos were outstanding, but he contributed so much more IMO. It should be a lot of fun.

 

Wow !

 

Maybe Wishing Well? Good question.

 

I wouldn't count on seeing these soon as they have supposedly been finished since 2008.

 

Yea but maybe with the pretty strong sales of the Pie's Fillmore box and the SMALLFaces reissues Rhino will go for it....I hope so...I am not getting younger.......

 

Here's Kossoff doing Crossroads!

The guitar is not in the back that I can tell, up front and smoking.

 

I agree. However I gave up saving my nickels for that stuff to be released a long time ago.

 

Snuffy Walden appears on these tracks.

Common Mortal Man", "Easy on My Soul" and "Seven Angels" I believe Kossoff and Walden are on Seven Angels.

 

Looks like he has writing credits for Wishing Well and Travellin' in Style. Hmm, I think we've kinda jumped all the way to the end. Sorry, RRB!

 

Yes indeed....Time to move on....

 

I actually wrote emails to Rhino asking about these a could not get any information. Their albums should be in print domestically. I had to buy some from Japan just to have copies at one point.

 

Thanks for trying John.....would make a nice box set ....completed works thing ....

 

I have always loved his solos on that. His solos have a human singing quality to them. Eric's solos are great but a little too flashy for my tastes all the time.
That was the beauty of Koss's solos to me. They all had a human singing quality to them. His guitar playing was a voice.....not a guitar. It is why I like Rachmaninoff and not Brahms. Call me sentimental and a romantic.

 

This is another case in point of why forum members should be in charge of vault releases and not record company executives.

Another is example: Why have they not released the Isle Of Wight sets by Free and The Doors. The Free set is on dvd but not cd and if I remember correctly only 3 of the songs have video.

Maybe they will include it on the Free From The Shadows box set if it is ever released.

 

I agree 100% when you can make a guitar sing it is on another level and that is a good example but the tone and the vibrato in Crossroads is sublime to me.

 

Yeah. Picture THAT

 

Koss is on Heartbreaker but I'm not sure how much. I think he is credited as being on about half of the record (?). I think that Snuffy Walden is on the rest and added a bunch of guitar parts even to the songs that had Koss on them. How much Koss is really on and what he did I'm not sure (he was battling health/addiction issues). Maybe we can talk more about this once the thread reaches that album, I'd like to learn more about it.

 

Stuff like this tends to piss me off because the forum members and real fans will buy these releases and really appreciate them.

 

Snuffy Walden appears on these tracks.

Common Mortal Man", "Easy on My Soul" and "Seven Angels" I believe Kossoff and Walden are on Seven Angels.

There are also alternate takes with different combinations.

 

That is it exactly. Ya know, I listen to Eddie Van Halen and love him and how it rocks and how amazing his technique is and how great his songs are. I even like Yngwie Malmsteen. But, when I want to hear a solo that sounds like it is real and human and something I can sing along to I listen to guys like Koss and John Fogerty and Mick Taylor to name a few.

 

Off topic for another moment but a funny story about Tetsu.

He showed up for his first rehearsal with the Faces with a bottle of Teacher's Whiskey. The boys in the Faces assumed it was a present for them since their drinking was legendary and Tetsu proceeded to drink the whole bottle himself. He fit right in.

 

Amen brother. The space between the notes is just as important as the number of notes.

I would much rather hear slow and with feeling than fast without. This is really apparent with a slow blues number. The notes may be the same but it is the feeling and soulfulness that make a particular version stand out.

 

What I think Koss is a master at is holding his notes an not rushing or trying to be flashy maybe he is misunderstood. I don't like to keep repeating myself but his vibrato technique is his genius.

 

Yes...Was listening to early Free in the morning and the use of space was very impressive....the weaving in and out.
The real action as said earlier by John is often between the lines..

 

I agree. His bending technique the way he would bend up in tiers was amazing also. I will get more into that geeky guitar stuff as we move thru the albums.